Rudd hastened forward with a new decanter, and the toast was drunk, then Veronica leaned towards Gregory: ‘Were you serious about taking us to the West Indies?’
‘Perfectly, have you a preference for any particular island?’
‘I’ve always wanted to go to the West Indies,’ Ann announced unexpectedly.
‘Good,’ he nodded. ‘Well, I favour Haiti myself, it’s native owned—or one of the smaller islands. Dominica perhaps—I’ve friends there; you see complications might arise if we turned up at Jamaica or Cuba.’
‘But why the West Indies?’ Veronica protested. ‘Think of the voyage in this armoured speed-boat. There’s so much engine to it they haven’t even room for a bathroom.’
He shrugged. ‘Europe is impossible, and the African coast presents all sorts of unpleasant problems. In the Indies there is an excellent climate; very few poisonous reptiles in the better islands, an abundant variety of fruit, and excellent deep-sea fishing. What more do you want?’
‘But my dear man, you don’t expect us to live on the beach, do you?’
‘Why not? All towns will be dangerous for a year or two to come—until the world settles down again with a considerably reduced population. Even after the bloodshed stops there will be starvation and every sort of ghastly pestilence. Our only hope as I see it is to find a garden of Eden for ourselves and sit in it playing contract for shark’s teeth.’
‘What! live in the woods like savages?’
‘Not quite. My reason for commandeering troops was not only for my own protection. I don’t doubt that I could have got out of England on my own, but I should hate to live on a desert island, however fruitful, in complete solitude, and with organised labour one can do anything. Build houses, dig gardens, assure oneself an adequate and regular supply of food, and protect one-self from the possible hostility of the inhabitants—if any. These Tommies are to act the role of numerous Man Fridays to my Crusoe.’
‘My God, you’ve got a nerve!’ exclaimed Veronica.
‘But surely,’ Kenyon cut in, ‘they’re bound to realise that you are not acting on instructions once you get them on the other side.’
‘Of course, but I shall offer them a choice. To return to England in the ship with Fanshawe or to stay with me. These chaps are not fools, Fane. They will have been under my orders for three weeks or a month by then, and since a natural gift for leadership has been thrust upon me by a kindly and all-seeing Providence, nine-tenths of them will stay under their self-appointed Commander rather than face a return to the uncertainties of England. In fact, I expect most of the sailors will stay too, so perhaps this ship will never go back. If not we’ll see if we can’t find some method to refine crude oil or perhaps convert one of the engines. If we could we’d turn her into a private yacht.’
‘As I see it you’re out to start a brand new Colony,’ remarked Harker. ‘And I think it’s a great idea.’
‘That’s it, “Hespérides” we’ll call it. The Golden Isle where all is peace under the benign reign of King Sallust the First—that’s me. You will form my natural aristocracy and the lads shall be the population.’
‘I’ve a notion that you’ll have a spot of trouble with one or two of them first.’
‘I expect so. That’s why in a way I would rather that the ship went back. It would take any discontented elements with it. As it is I anticipate having to make a few drastic examples. That red-faced fellow Brisket is a bad egg, I’m sure, so is the bird with the protruding teeth. Sanders, I think his name is, but I’m not certain. I haven’t been with them long enough to get all their names pat yet.’
‘What is the drill tomorrow?’ asked Kenyon.
‘You’d better take Orderly Officer, Fane. First parade six-thirty. Inspect their turn out and create hell if any of them are unshaven or slipshod in their dress. Then run ’em round the deck for ten minutes, follow-my-leader fashion, to get their circulation going. After that an hour’s physical drill. Second parade nine o’clock, rifle inspection. I’ll take that myself.’
‘Very good, sir.’
‘I’ll rough out some sort of plan this evening for the day’s routine, then we must put our heads together as to how to vary it a bit. The men must be kept busy, interested and amused during the voyage. That will keep them fit, help to preserve discipline and enable all of us to get to know each of them personally. Besides, regular healthy occupation is the strongest antidote against discontent.’
Harker gave his slow smile. ‘You certainly have the right idea how to handle a job like this.’
‘Then amusements,’ Gregory went on with a little nod. ‘We’ll arrange a sing-song for tomorrow night I think. You might attend to that, Harker. Find out what local talent we’ve got amongst our own men, then get Fanshawe or Broughton to cooperate and rope in some of the tars as well—excellent way of getting the two lots on a friendly footing. We might try and fix a gymkhana for the following afternoon, high jumps, obstacle race round the deck and all that soft of thing—then a boxing contest the following night.’
‘Thank goodness I’m not a man,’ Ann murmured to Veronica.
‘I know, darling, I detest organised games.’
Harker’s curiously musical accent covered the aside. ‘When do you mean to open these marvellous secret orders—officially—General?’
‘After nine o’clock inspection. All my men will be on deck and under arms then.’
‘You’ve a feeling that the naval bird may not stand for it, eh?’
Gregory smiled slightly. ‘Well, as Fane said a little time ago, it’s hardly rational that the Government should send troops to the West Indies with a Revolution going on at home—and if they did it’s not usual to send them in a destroyer. However, I’ve got quite a good story in my head for Fanshawe because I thought this whole party out a very long time ago. I only hope for his own sake that it convinces him.’
‘Himmel!’ cried Veronica suddenly.
‘What is it?’ came a chorus of surprised exclamations.
‘I’ve just thought, darlings, what in the world shall we do for clothes?’
With the exception of Gregory they all burst out laughing, but he eyed her gravely. ‘I thought you told me this afternoon that you were a devil with a needle.’
‘So I am, what of it?’
‘Well, we can’t afford to carry passengers on a trip like this, everyone must earn their keep in some way. Ann’s quite a useful cook, so with Rudd’s assistance and a couple of orderlies to do the dirty work she’ll be able to pull her weight, but your only accomplishment being sewing I’d thought of you as seamstress for the party; there will be several score of socks to mend.’
‘Take him away somebody or I shall faint,’ Veronica covered her eyes with her hands as though to shut out this nightmare vision, but they only laughed the more as Gregory went on:
‘When the socks give out you shall make a sweet little grass skirt for each of us; decency, like discipline, must be maintained.’
As the laughter subsided Kenyon found Ann smiling at him for the first time since she had visited Grosvenor Square.
‘You know,’ she said, ‘I’m looking forward to life on an island. I think it’s all going to be wonderful fun.’
‘Do you, Ann. I—’ but his sentence was cut short by the sudden entrance of Lieutenant-Commander Fanshawe. He looked more square-jawed than ever and there was an angry light in his eyes as he flung at Sallust:
‘I’ve been busy on the wireless and now we’ve got it going again.’
‘Have you? that’s splendid.’ Gregory’s tone was mild as milk but his eyes suddenly narrowed and his hand fell casually to his belt, just above his pistol holster. Mr. Rudd appeared, silent and watchful in the doorway of the wardroom, behind the Lieutenant-Commander. His hand had slipped under a newly-acquired apron.
‘Yes,’ said Fanshawe harshly, ‘and we’ve picked up Chatham. They say that no orders have been passed to C.-in-C. Nore, and that they’ve never heard of Brigadier-G
eneral Sallust. My instructions are to return to port at once.’
As he finished speaking they felt the engines beginning to throb. The destroyer had leapt from cruising to full speed ahead.
13
The Bluff is Called
‘I Gather that you have already given the necessary orders,’ said Gregory.
‘Yes.’
‘Without consulting me?’
‘I don’t have to.’ The Lieutenant-Commander’s voice was grim.
Sallust nodded. ‘All right. Still, I want to talk to you and it might as well be now; sit down and join me in a glass of port.’
‘Thank you, no! I have to return to the bridge.’
‘Why; is there no one up there now?’
‘Yes, the officer of the watch, Broughton.’
‘Then there is no need for you to return at once; sit down for a minute.’
Fanshawe regarded Gregory with an angry stare, his chin thrust out, his bushy eyebrows drawn together. ‘Look here,’ he replied, ‘I don’t know what your game is. A Brigadier in charge of a platoon, with a couple of officers who aren’t officers at all and two ladies attached; but one thing’s clear—you’ve got no right on board this ship. You jollied me into leaving port against my better judgment and I’ll be lucky if I’m not court-martialled for this trip; anyhow you’ll have the chance of explaining to the authorities directly we arrive, but in the meantime I and the officers under me do not propose to hold any further communication with you at all. Understand?’
‘That’s a pity,’ said Gregory affably; ‘because we are going to be cooped up in this ship together for quite a little time.’
‘What the devil do you mean?’
‘Simply this. We are going to adhere to our first instructions and if you think it over you will see why.’
‘I’m hanged if I do!’
‘Don’t you? Then it has obviously not occurred to you that these orders you have just received by wireless may be faked. It is highly probable that the Communists have taken over at Chatham by now.’
The sailor made an angry noise; half-grunt, half-laugh. ‘What rot! Besides they wouldn’t be able to use the Admiralty code even if they had!’
‘Oh? What about the mutineers in the fleet?’
‘We’re not all fools, you know; they will have been dealt with by now.’
‘All right then; in that case your new orders can only be the result of some blunder on the part of Higher Command.’
‘Thank you, they are quite plain, and in these waters it would be difficult to get a higher authority than C.-in-C. Nore.’
‘Perhaps.’ Gregory rose slowly to his feet and stood, passing the tip of his tongue backwards and forwards between his lips while he eyed the sailor with a meditative look; then he added suddenly: ‘But he’s not quite high enough for me. I don’t want trouble but I intend to carry out my mission.’
‘Trouble?’ the Lieutenant-Commander picked him up: ‘I shouldn’t advise you to start it! I left instructions with the officer of the watch exactly what to do if I failed to return to the bridge ten minutes after I left him.’
‘Did you? How thoughtful.’ Gregory was almost purring now. ‘Well, time is nearly up so you had better beat it, hadn’t you?’
‘I’m going all right—but you and your party will kindly remain here until we get in.’
‘Am I to understand that you are placing us under arrest?’
‘Understand what you like, but I am in command of this ship and those are my orders.’
‘All right; Rudd!’ Gregory’s voice was curt. ‘The door, for the Commander.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Rudd’s eyes had never left Sallust’s face, now he forced his way quickly in front of Fanshawe and gripped the knob of the wardroom door; as the sailor turned he was between them.
The whole thing was over so quickly that the others, seated at the table behind Gregory, hardly saw what happened. His arm seemed to shoot out with a vicious jab, his fist thudded on the flesh below the naval officer’s ear, and Rudd, with a muttered ‘easy now,’ caught the body as it fell.
‘You brute!’ Veronica was on her feet, her eyes blazing, but Ann was first beside the unconscious sailor, kneeling by him and pillowing his head in her lap.
‘Shut up!’ snapped Gregory. ‘You didn’t want me to shoot him, did you? Rudd, nip into the pantry quick, and get that steward out of the way; send him forward to get some rum or some damn thing. Fane, take charge of the two men in the passage, let no one pass. Harker, give me a hand to get this bird on the settee.’
Between them they carried Fanshawe over to the side of the wardroom and propped him up with cushions. Gregory rolled up one of his eyelids and gave a grunt of satisfaction. ‘He won’t give us any trouble for a bit.’ Then he stood thoughfully rubbing his own knuckles while the girls fussed over the unconscious man.
‘What about the officer on the bridge?’ asked Harker. ‘That ten minutes is back with Omar Khayyam’s seven thousand years by this time.’
‘I know; we’ve got to do something pretty quick. Slip up on to the bridge will you, Harker; tell Broughton that Fanshawe sent you; that we are discussing the situation quite amicably down here and that he is to take no action for the moment.’
‘Do you think he’ll believe me?’
‘Got to chance it; come back as soon as you can and let me know how he takes it. If they try to arrest you, you must use your gun; we’ve gone too far to turn back now.’
Silas opened his round eyes with a comically rueful look, then shrugged and left them.
Rudd reappeared in the door of the wardroom. ‘I sent the steward to find the brandy out o’ Mr. Gibbon’s stores,’ he reported.
‘Brandy? I didn’t know old Gibbon had a licence?’
‘Nor ’e ’ad, sir; that’s why ’e lorst most of ’is customers to ’Arrods.’
‘Then—?’ Gregory frowned, his mind on the bridge with Silas.
Rudd grinned at him. ‘Finding that there conyak’s goin’ ter take the steward a bit a time!’
‘Good boy. I wish to God though that we had got a bottle of good brandy, especially as I’ve got to be up all night!’
‘Plenty o’ whisky in the pantry, sir; can I get you a peg?’
‘Yes, do; then take over from Lord Fane in the passage and ask him to come in here.’
While Rudd was getting the whisky Gregory paced slowly up and down, ignoring the two girls whose whispering by the sailor was for the moment the only sound other than the hissing of the waters, as the destroyer ran on into the night. He gulped the drink down when it arrived and drew a deep breath of satisfaction.
A moment later Kenyon appeared; his face was unusually grave and he spoke sharply. ‘Look here, Sallust, I’ve had about enough of this business; outing Fanshawe like that was a rotten trick.’
‘Swallow a camel and strain at a gnat! Is that the idea?’ Gregory swung round on him with an angry look. ‘Don’t be a fool, Fane. I haven’t hurt him seriously and it was the only thing to do. Anyhow I’m not going to argue about it with you now.’
Suddenly Ann gave a quick, nervous laugh.
‘What is it?’ snapped Gregory.
‘I was only thinking how funny it is to hear Kenyon lecture you after his own performance in Gloucester Road.’
‘All right,’ Kenyon’s mouth tightened grimly. ‘We’re all in it up to the neck now, so I suppose we’d better get on with it. What’s the next move?’
‘We’ve got to deal with the other officers before they have a chance to start in on us with the crew; knock them out or lock them up somewhere. Once they’re out of the way I’ll manage the men.’
‘How can you?’ cried Veronica. ‘Your Napoleonic act was great fun in its way, my dear, but even Boney would have found himself up against it if he had tried to run a ship!’
Sallust raised his only movable eyebrow. ‘A poor comparison, I fear, unjust to both Bonaparte and myself. I could never have drafted the Code Napoleon, but I can certain
ly navigate a ship.’
‘You don’t really mean that, do you?’ said Ann.
‘I do; it happens that I was educated in the Worcester, so although my navigation is a little rusty, I shall manage well enough with the aid of common sense and the Admiralty charts.
‘Darlings! the man’s a genius!’ exclaimed Veronica.
‘No, only a jack of all trades; and your sincere admirer, Madam!’ he countered quickly.
Veronica lowered her eyes and fumbled with the matches. She had caught him studying her with a strange look on his face twice that day, and this quick, half-humorous compliment left her for once without an apt reply.
‘You’d have to have help,’ remarked Kenyon.
Of course, I must sleep sometimes; however, I can stick it for another twenty-four hours, till I get her clear of the Channel. Then you and Harker will relieve me turn and turn about.’
‘Good Lord, man! I don’t know the first thing about a ship; it would be madness to give me such responsibility.’
‘Not a bit of it. Once we are out in the open sea it will be the simplest thing in the world. I shall set the course before turning in so all you will have to do is to keep an eye on the helmsman; see that he sticks to it, and watch out for any other shipping. I will sleep in the bunk in the chart-house, so in any emergency you’ll only have to bellow down the voice pipe and I shall take over again immediately.’
A groan from the settee drew their attention back to Fanshawe; he showed signs of coming round.
‘We’ll have to truss him up,’ said Gregory, ‘and put a light gag over his mouth so that he can’t shout for help. Come on, Fane.’
They tore the table napkins into strips, and before the sailor regained conciousness he was neatly bound. Then Gregory got hold of him under the armpits. ‘Take his feet, Fane; we’ll put him in the pantry, he’ll be out of sight there.’
‘What are you going to do about the engine-room?’ Kenyon inquired when they had deposited their victim.
‘I’ll fix that somehow. They must know that if the ship ceases to be under power it is only a matter of hours before we become a wreck, and none of them want to drown!’
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